Lucy Kalanithi's Home Makeover June 06 2016

After the passing of Lucy Kalanithi’s late husband—Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon whose memoir about dying was published to great acclaim shortly after his death—her sister (and stylish blogger extraordinaire) Joanna Goddard teamed up with Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook to treat Lucy to a terrific home makeover. Their updates totally transformed the space, and helped Lucy and her daughter take next steps toward a fresh start.

We were thrilled to be part of such a wonderful project. We’ve been friends and admirers of Joanna and Jenny K. for quite some time, ever inspired by their impeccable taste and grounded Internet presence. It was through Lucy’s eloquence on the subject of her recent loss that we felt we got to know her as well. We loved having Lucy and Cady select 20x200 art for their refreshed space, including editions from Dylan Fareed, Kurt Tong and more!

In one of her posts about Lucy’s makeover, Jenny noted the importance of collaboration when it comes to at-home art curation: “[it] is important in every project so that the homeowner feels very connected with what she will see on the walls every day.” We loved Lucy’s choice of Dylan Fareed’s We Are So Good Together (blue), a piece Lucy chose because it brought back good memories of her husband, while reminding her of the relationship she and her young daughter share.

Fareed first made this screenprint after a difficult breakup. Though it began as a bit of a joke—as he says, “the bond between a guy and the paper print on his wall”—he began receiving requests for it after it appeared in a photo online, and its popularity hasn’t waned since. We love the stark lettering of this screenprint as it contrasts with the warm sentiment of the words. How lovely it looks in Lucy’s redone living room!

The pastel hues of Kurt Tong’s Gosling Lake made it a perfect addition to Lucy’s newly blush-colored bedroom. The tones in the image are sensuous and sophisticated without feeling over the top. Though the photograph’s location of Labrador, Canada, is considered one of the furthest corners of the earth, we love that it’s the first piece of art Lucy sees in the morning.